{"id":2003,"date":"2026-05-06T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mostafa-sakna.com\/?p=2003"},"modified":"2026-05-08T22:42:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T21:42:29","slug":"coffee-cupping-scores-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa-sakna.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/06\/coffee-cupping-scores-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Coffee Cupping Scores: What ’86 Points’ Actually Means"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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QUICK ANSWER<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

SCA cupping scores rate coffee from 0 to 100. 80+ is ‘specialty grade.’ 86+ is ‘outstanding.’ 90+ is rare and expensive. Scores are out of 10 across 10 attributes (aroma, flavor, body, etc.) \u2014 added up gives the total.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u2705 Tested by Amr Taha<\/strong> \u00b7 Brew Tech Reviewer \u00b7 The Corner Bundle<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a bag says “86 cupping score” \u2014 what does that mean, and is it worth the EGP 600? Here’s the system that decides which beans even count as specialty.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SCA scoring system<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) created a standardized cupping protocol in 1985. Trained Q-Graders (certified coffee judges) score every coffee on 10 attributes<\/strong>, each worth 10 points:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#<\/th>Attribute<\/th>What it measures<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1<\/td>Fragrance\/Aroma<\/td>The smell of dry grounds and wet coffee<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>Flavor<\/td>The combined taste + aroma<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>Aftertaste<\/td>What lingers after swallowing<\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>Acidity<\/td>Brightness, liveliness, ‘spark’<\/td><\/tr>
5<\/td>Body<\/td>Mouthfeel, weight, texture<\/td><\/tr>
6<\/td>Balance<\/td>How attributes complement each other<\/td><\/tr>
7<\/td>Sweetness<\/td>Pleasant sweetness perception<\/td><\/tr>
8<\/td>Clean Cup<\/td>Absence of defects<\/td><\/tr>
9<\/td>Uniformity<\/td>Consistency across multiple cups<\/td><\/tr>
10<\/td>Overall<\/td>The judge’s overall quality impression<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Total: 100. Every coffee starts at 100 and points are deducted for defects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The score thresholds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Score<\/th>Category<\/th>What it means<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
<80<\/strong><\/td>Commercial \/ commodity<\/td>Not specialty grade. Most supermarket coffee.<\/td><\/tr>
80\u201384.99<\/strong><\/td>Good specialty<\/td>Decent quality. Most caf\u00e9 and grocery specialty coffee.<\/td><\/tr>
85\u201389.99<\/strong><\/td>Outstanding specialty<\/td>Notably high quality. The Corner Bundle’s typical floor.<\/td><\/tr>
90\u201394.99<\/strong><\/td>Outstanding (rare)<\/td>Top-tier farms, careful processing. EGP 800+\/250g territory.<\/td><\/tr>
95+<\/strong><\/td>Exceptional<\/td>Auction lots. Geisha. Hundreds of dollars per kilo.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why scores aren’t everything<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A score is one snapshot of one batch under one set of conditions. A few things scores don’t tell you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n